TNC Receives $102.5 Million for Conservation Work Across Six States

Conserving thousands of acres of climate-resilient lands in Idaho and across the West are just some of the conservation projects that will ramp up thanks to $102.5 million in federal awards to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) last week.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced TNC received six awards under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, or RCPP. The program empowers communities to find local, innovative solutions to complex natural resource challenges for watersheds and landscapes. The six awards to TNC are part of about $1.5 billion for 92 partner-driven conservation projects awarded last week by RCPP. The funding, made available through funding from the Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act, will enable work to conserve natural resources and combat climate change across the country.

Of the full award amount, $19.4 million will fund conservation projects in Idaho to conserve 20,000 acres of climate-resilient landscapes and 40 stream miles through conservation easements.

“With this significant grant, The Nature Conservancy and partners will permanently protect thousands of acres of critical lands across Idaho in our efforts to safeguard climate-resilient habitat, conserve biodiversity and enhance wildlife connectivity,” said Tess O’Sullivan, land conservation strategy lead for TNC in Idaho. “This project exemplifies the power of collaboration with land trusts, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and other partners, demonstrating that together, we can achieve far more than we ever could alone.”

“The Regional Conservation Partnership Program is one of the United States’ most important conservation tools for working lands,” said Bridget Collins, TNC’s senior policy advisor for agriculture. “It supports the work of those on the ground to do conservation that not only leads to real results but also makes sense for farmers, ranchers, forest landowners and communities.

“The infusion of funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Farm Bill has enabled a historic increase in the scale of impact of these awards and will have benefits for people and nature alike. We’re grateful to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for our long-term partnership and the faith the department has put in all of the awards. These are investments in our communities, our natural world and our shared future.”

Awarded projects:

·       Idaho - $19.4 million: To conserve 20,000 acres of climate-resilient landscapes and 40 stream miles through conservation easements.

·       Indiana - $15.7 million: To influence broad adoption of edge-of-field and in-field conservation practices for the central Wabash River Basin to address degraded water quality, inadequate habitat and necessary climate action.

·       Maine - $24.9 million: To improve native fish and wildlife species throughout Maine by upgrading road-stream crossings and other means of improved fish passage.

·       New Hampshire - $10 million: To help landowners implement climate-smart forest management practices.

·       Ohio - $12.6 million: To reduce enteric methane emissions from more than 51,000 milking cows by 20-30% in Ohio, Idaho, Indiana and Kansas.

·       South Dakota - $19.6 million: To conserve large uninterrupted spans of quality grasslands necessary to support current populations of wildlife, store carbon and increase the resiliency of South Dakota’s ranching community.